Rick Snyder vetoes bill allowing guns in Michigan schools

The sponsor of the bill says that Snyder is "not going to sign it" [UPDATED]

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December 19, 2012 1:53AM (UTC)

Update (Dec. 18, 5:08 p.m): The Detroit Free Press reports that Snyder has officially vetoed the bill to allow guns on school property, writing in a veto letter to the state legislature: “I believe that it is important that these public institutions have clear legal authority to ban weapons from their premises. Each is entrusted with the care of a vulnerable population and should have the authority to determine whether its mission would be enhanced by the addition of concealed weapons.”

From earlier:

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Gov. Rick Snyder, R-Mich., will reportedly veto a bill that would have allowed firearms to be brought into schools and other “gun-free zones," according to the bill's sponsor.

The bill was introduced by state Sen. Mike Green, a Republican, and passed out of the state legislature last Thursday, the night before the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Green said he refused to include language in Senate Bill 59 allowing public school districts and municipalities to still ban concealed weapons for fear that it could be used to overturn the state's firearms preemption law that prohibits local firearms laws from trumping state laws and regulations.

Green said the final version of the legislation was "more restrictive than we ever wanted."

"They told us Thursday night he'd veto it if we didn't include that language," said Green, who says he refused to concede to the governor's demands. "We just said 'enough's enough' and we passed it."

Snyder had said earlier this week that he would give the bill "extra consideration" in the wake of the shootings.

Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.